Welcome to the second article dedicated to the swimming portion of Triathlon.  Believe it or not, the weather has finally gotten warmer here in Chicago and with the coming of the nice weather, many of us are making our first forays into some open-water training out on the lake.  For some of us, we have already completed at least one race on our calendar and we are now thinking of additional ways to improve our swim leg. For the rest, we are just starting back into open water training so I wanted to use this opportunity to cover some open-water basics and some tactics that you can use for your next event.

First, the basics.  Open-water swimming brings along its own set of challenges which differ from training in a pool environment.  We are now leaving the safety of clear, warmer water in a controlled environment with lane lines and set distances for the murky and much cooler water of your local lake, pond, quarry, or oceanfront.  Add to that, having to don your wetsuit and all the struggles with just getting it on, not to mention the compressed, claustrophobic feeling that it might leave you. 

Get Out There in the Open Water and Practice.

As obvious as this may sound, it really is the best way to get used to swimming in open water. And you will learn very quickly that swimming in open water is much different than in a pool. There is no black line guiding you down the length of the lake. Unless the water is crystal-clear, you will actually have to lift your head to sight or see where you are going.  Just this act alone will begin to change your stroke ever so slightly.  If you are swimming a longer distance, the act of raising your head will begin to cause some stress and tension in the back of your neck and radiate down to your lower back.  This will cause you to fatigue a little faster than you would in a pool. 

Safety is PARAMOUNT!!

Many drowning accidents are often easily preventable.  Don’t swim alone in an open body of water unless there is a lifeguard on duty or you have a friend to accompany you. If you are swimming under the watchful eye of a lifeguard, let him/her know your plans and where you will be swimming. If you are planning on swimming in the ocean and the seas are rough…don’t bother. It won’t make you a tougher swimmer, chances are the race conditions will not be that extreme, and the bottom line… it may save your life! If you are swimming in a lake, swim in a designated area and swim along the shoreline if possible. Swimming straight out towards the middle of the lake will put you right in the middle of "motorboat" territory.

Test the Waters

Whether it is just before the start of a race or you are out for a training swim, always test the waters and water temperature.  If you are going out for a training swim, make sure the water is safe to swim in. Obviously if you are swimming in a public area, there should be no problems. But in areas where you are swimming at your own risk familiarize yourself with the waters and stay close to shore. Pay close attention to water temperatures and wear a wetsuit if the water temps are in the 60’s and 70’s.  Above that, the temperatures may be too warm and you have a possibility of over-heating, so Bottom line – Dress appropriately!!

Now on to some of the more tactically relevant things…

Practice Your Sighting – As previously mentioned, you will not have a black line running along the bottom to help guide you in a straight line. Learn to lift your head and sight certain points in order to stay on track. If you are out for a training swim, you will want to look for various land markers. It may be a tall tree, a water tower, or the top of a building, something that you can see each time you lift your head to look forward. In a triathlon, there will be orange markers floating in the water outlining the swim course. Prior to the race, get in the water and practice sighting these markers during your warm-up.

Follow the Bubbles –During the swim portion of a triathlon learn to spot the "kicking" bubbles from swimmers that may be in front of you. Spotting someone in front of you from their kick is just one more way to keep you swimming straight without lifting your head to sight. NOTE: Do not rely solely on these folks. Always keep track of the orange markers as well. It is possible to be led off course by the swimmers in front of you.

Take Advantage of the Draft: Drafting during the swim portion of a triathlon is legal. And placing yourself within a pack of swimmers of similar experience and speed can prove beneficial to your swim performance and overall triathlon performance. There are actually two ways one can draft off another swimmer. One is swimming directly behind a lead swimmer and the other is swimming in the wake of a lead swimmer. Both can be very effective in an open water swim. If you were to swim directly behind a swimmer and close to his/her feet the result would be a "pulling" effect.  If you were to swim in the wake of another swimmer, ideally you would position yourself just off the shoulder of that swimmer. The benefit being, an added push provided by the swells or wake created by that lead swimmer. CAUTION: If you are swimming in a pack, things can get a little rough. There will be swinging arms and kicking feet and you might find yourself getting "wacked" by accident. Try to stay relaxed and let the momentum of the moving water push you along.

Next month we will address some more open-water swim tactics as well as introduce next months drill.

For this month, as I stated in my introductory article, while swimming, we are trying to increase our effectiveness while using less effort.  Stroke drills that work on our technique will go a long way to helping us acquire proper stroke mechanics, thus increasing our effectiveness.  The first drill I would like to introduce is one I call the body-rotation drill.  The purpose of this drill is to get us swimming on our sides and rotating our hips.  By doing this we will increase our distance per stroke DPS.  By doing this, we are covering more distance with every pull and taking less pulls over all.  By adding this drill to your workout sessions it will begin to make your freestyle more effective.  For the next several newsletters we will build and add to this drill with the goal of increasing your DPS (distance per stroke) and making you a more efficient swimmer.  Here is the drill:

1.Keep arms at the sides of your body and hands on your thighs

2.Head looks at the bottom of the pool 2 to 3 feet in front of you

3.The body rotates from one side to the other, leading with the hips and constantly using a flutter kick for propulsion

4.The swimmer keeps their whole body in a straight line by tightening the abs

5.The swimmer should make sure that the belly button, hips and shoulders face the wall on each side while rotating.

Do this drill with fins if possible, it will keep your body in the proper position while you rotate your hips.  Start with doing 10 kicks on each side then rotate and work your way down to three kicks per side.  Now, when you swim your freestyle set, think about rotating the hips and you should notice an increase in your distance per stroke.

Coach Mike is a USA Swimming and ASCA Certified coach and the Director of Swimming at Break Through Multisport Inc.   You can reach Coach Mike at Mike@BreakThroughMultisport.com with any questions, comments or for all of your coaching needs.

Works Cited

1. Midway Aquatics Drills and Techniques Manual

2. Kent, Hazen, Open Water Swimming Tips for Triathletes: Overcoming Your Fears, Tri-Newbies online.

When we set out to train for triathlons we, of course, start off focusing on the three sports: swimming, bicycling, and running.   As we advance our training, we realize there is so much more than just the three sports.  There are transitions, equipment selection, tactics, recovery, nutrition, and more; and we also concentrate on these areas during our months of training and race preparation.   The same is true for the mental aspect of the sport, but many consider mental preparation only to revolve around mental race simulation and conquering fears.  For instance, if you say to yourself “Swimming in open water makes me nervous and scared,” then you and your coach plan for more open water swims during training, so you can gain more confidence in the water before race time.    Another common mental preparation is running through the race in your head the night or week before your race.  This practice is easier for some than others.  Those are both great practices, but what are you doing to get rid of those negative thoughts that pop into your mind when times are tough and something unexpected happens?

One of the exercises I recently used with one of my athletes is geared specifically at ridding those negative thoughts.   We focused on positive affirmations, using Bobby McGee’s book, Magical Running: A Unique Path to Running Fulfillment, as a guide.   The following exercise can help you create your own personal affirmations. 

First, create lists of three to five words that you would use to describe a triathlete in their best state during each stage of the race.  Since everybody perceives themselves and others differently, this exercise is extremely personal.   It is important to use what you believe, not what others believe.  The examples below are for pre-race preparation, swimming, bicycling, and running (you can add T1 or T2, if you like).  

Pre-Race: Calm, Smiling

Swimming: Rhythmic, Effortless

Bicycling: Quick feet, Aero

Running: Long, Forward-Leaning

Second, turn those words in positive statements, in the present tense.  Keep in mind; these statements don’t actually have to be true.  Here are some examples:

Pre-Race: I’m calm before I race.

Swimming: I have a smooth rhythmic stroke.

Bicycling:  I cut through the air like a speeding bullet.

Running:  My strides are long and smooth.

These statements, several for each stage of the race, are the positive affirmations you will say to yourself often during those portions of the race, displacing negative thoughts before or if they pop up.

Third, take those words and statements and use them during your mental race simulation.  Create actions from those words and statements and imagine yourself doing those actions during the race simulation in your mind. 

For instance, as you imagine yourself getting ready for the race; specifically think of yourself smiling and wishing other people well, and then during the swim, see your stroke with elbows high and fingers down flowing effortlessly.  During the bike leg, imagine yourself down in your aero bars with the wind flowing over your back, and during the run, think of yourself in proper running form, leaning forward with long strides.  

Just as in any training exercise, repetition is key.  Try to say these affirmations as often as possible during training workouts, especially in those workouts that are especially tough or long.  The more you practice positive thoughts, the more they will displace the negative.  As with everything, it takes time.  I hope you give this exercise a try and add an additional aspect to your mental race plan and preparation.  

Coach Laura is a USA Triathlon Certified coach and an Assistant Coach at Break Through Multisport Inc.  You can reach Coach Laura at Laura@BreakThroughMultisport.com with any questions, comments or for all of your coaching needs.

Works Cited

McGee, B. (2000). Magical Running: A Unique Path to Running Fulfillment. Boulder, Colorado: BobbySez Publishing.

Cameron Schafer made his 1/2 Ironman debut at the Kansas 70.3 in June. After a solid 15th place at the USAT Collegiate Nationals, we were curious to see what Cam could do at a longer distance.

After the dust settled, Cam threw down a solid 4:22:52 which was good enough for 44th overall and 4th overall in the Collegiate Half-Iron distance championship with the following splits:

Swim: 26:57

Bike: 2:20:33

Run: 1:32:11

Christine Davis is now a two-time athlete of the month (May and June)! In June, Christine went out to Naperville to compete in her first ever triathlon, the Naperville Womens Triathlon! Christine put down a solid 1:32 with some significantly better splits that she was hoping for!

Are you one of those triathletes who "suffers" through the swim?  Or are you the athlete who, not matter how much you train, you swim split stays the same?  Or are you someone who simply wants to be better, swim faster, be more efficient?

If you answered YES to any of those questions, then we have the clinic for you!!

The Break Through TriBetter Swim Clinic, with guest coach Julie Silber, focuses on breaking down bad swimming habits and building a better, more efficient stroke.  Over the course of this two-day clinic you will retrain your body and mind and become a better, more efficient swimmer ... which leads to becoming an even better triathlete.

Details:

1. •Experienced Swim Coaches with specific training with Triathletes
   

2. •Intended for ALL levels
   

3. •Limited class size to ensure the best environment and coach to participant ratio
   

4. •Underwater video filming and review
   

5. •Progressive drills and workouts
   

6. •Take home binder with DVD drill and swim workouts and link to video
   

7. •Each swimmer will receive a Break Through water bottle and swim cap
   

8. •3 hours of expert instruction each Saturday and Sunday
   

9. •Morning or Afternoon sessions available
   

10. •$299 all inclusive
    

11. •Discounts available for Chicago area triathlon clubs and groups
    

Read what some of the veterans of the TriBetter Swim Clinic have to say:

1)  Deb T. (Swim Goal: to have more energy and not suffer on the swim.  Triathlon Goal:  to enjoy the whole race!) 

"I have never felt so much energy after the swim.  I didn't struggle and had such a great race as a result.  Thanks!"

2) Till S. (Swim Goal: to improve stoke, efficiency and get screaming fast.  Triathlon Goal: to get Pro Card.)

"I took 8 minutes off my 70.3 swim time.  Thanks Coach!!!!"

3) Desmond T. (Swim Goal: to be more efficient and gain speed.  Triathlon Goal: top half of my age group in a sprint race)

"Holy Smokes! I got 3rd in my age group!  Second out of the water!!"

**Space is limited in order to ensure a proper instructor to student ratio- DON’T MISS OUT ON THIS UNIQUE TRAINING OPPORTUNITY!

July 25-26

Morning Session: 9AM to 12PM

Afternoon Sessions: 1PM to 4PM

At the University of Illinois at Chicago in the Flames Natatorium

(big pool) at 901 W. Roosevelt Road, Chicago, IL 60608

August 15-16

Morning Session: 9AM to 12PM

Afternoon Sessions: 1PM to 4PM

At the University of Chicago (SUNY pool)

Click HERE to sign up!

By Laura Koerner, USA Triathlon Certified Coach

By Dina Aburmishan RD, LDN

Liz Yerly, MPT, ATC, CSCS, C-ART

Please contact Coach Ryan for details or to place an order.

20% OFF

The information contained in this newsletter is the opinion of Ryan Riell and Break Through Multisport on endurance training, racing, and nutrition. These points are suggestions on how to train and not recommendations for athletes. Any article on the Break Through Multisport website may be reprinted into a paper or online newsletter for your NON-PROFIT club or organization, so long as Ryan Riell and www.BreakThroughMultisport.com are credited.  If you do reprint or link to any Break Through Multisport material, please send a courtesy email to Ryan@BreakThroughMultisport.com. For medical advice, and before starting a strenuous training program, consult with a physician.

I have always thought of triathletes as machines. Machines need to be taken care of and given proper nutrients in order to allow it to run properly. Through running, biking, and swimming your body (the machine) expends a large amount of energy.  Vitamins and minerals are essential in most of your metabolic process. Specific vitamins and minerals are used in a number of reactions dealing with release of energy metabolizing carbohydrate, fat and protein. Being that you are triathletes and are much more physically active than the average individual, you must pay extra attention to the intake of vitamins and minerals.  Having a proper amount of vitamins/nutrients in your diet will ensure you recover better and have a stronger performance. 

No amount of vitamin pills can compensate for a lack of fruits and vegetables. There are components in fruits and vegetables that you can’t bottle, for example photochemical. Photochemical are nutrients found in plant that have yet untold health promoting properties. New research, especially in the field of cancer is showing how whole fruits and vegetables and positivity affecting the human body. Fruits and vegetables are nature’s best health foods. As an active adult its important to ensure you are getting enough fruits and vegetables to account for the extra nutrients your body needs.

Without added stress of intense physical activity your body needs 2 ½ cups of fruits and about 3-5 cups of vegetables. That looks like three servings of fruits and about 3-5 servings of fruits. However as you are training, I’d recommend you get in about 4 servings of fruits and at least 5 servings of vegetables. This may seem like a lot, but follow the tips below to increase vegetables and fruits into your diet:

™After grocery shopping, wash, chop your vegetables. Put them in a Tupperware with water. They will stay fresher longer. That way you can just grab a handful.

™If you don’t want to think of vegetables as a snack, think of them as a pre snack. Have a handful of cherry tomatoes before you eat the chips or other snack. You don’t need to eat a lot. Just eat them on the way to your ‘real snack’ or real meal.

™Double the vegetables you make for dinner and use the leftovers in meals for the next day.

™Throw vegetables in your eggs or omelets in the morning.

™Stock your pantry and freezer with frozen and canned vegetables for a quick additions to meals. There are frozen vegetables that cook in the bag they’re packaged in. Just heat and steam.

™Add vegetables to ANY meal will make that whole meal a bit healthier. If your having take out, heat up a cup of veggies and eat it while your waiting for your food to arrive.

™Instead of having the bread, order a side veggie dish or salad and have that as your dinner appetizer.

™Roast or grill veggies. Roasting adds a ton of flavor into veggies. Use these for the rest of the week or throw in a hummus veggie wrap.

™If you don’t like vegetables going bad in your fridge, pick two vegetables you know you’ll eat for the week and just eat those. For examples, just eat carrots and cucumbers all week. The next week switch it to cherry tomatoes and broccoli. That way you wont let vegetables go bad.

™Cook and puree vegetables like carrots or cauliflower and add into pasta sauce or thickened soups.

™Instead of mash potatoes try mashing steamed cauliflower, they have the same look and texture of mash potatoes, but you are getting your vegetable serving for the meal.

™Add cucumbers, tomatoes or red peppers to mayonnaise, sour cream or yogurts. Add these condiments to your sandwiches or meals.

™If you are picky on your vegetables at least try to get one of these vegetables per day. These are the top ten best vegetables: artichokes, beans, beet greens, broccoli, chick peas, lentils, spinach, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, raspberries, blueberries, cantaloupe, strawberries, bananas.

™Fruits can be added to yogurts, cereal, and puddings.

™If your fruit is larger than a tennis ball, its over one serving. IF you have a large apple, you can count that as two servings of fruit.

™Frozen berries are great to add to shakes, when fresh berries are too expensive.

™A serving of banana is ½ of a large banana, eating the whole banana is two servings.

™Frozen grapes or cherries are great as a snack on a hot day.

Below is a table of vitamins and minerals that have been shown by research to be needed by athletes in higher amounts.

Dina Aburmishan RD, LDN is a registered dietitian who works with endurance athletes. Dina owns DMA Nutrition Inc. a private practice nutrition consulting company. You can reach Dina at dina@dmanutrition.com or www.dmanutrition.com or call her at 847-581-1160.

Liz Yerly, MPT, ATC, CSCS, cART  is a licensed physical therapist and athletic trainer who has experience working with the highly trained athlete, as well as the weekend warrior She is the facility manager of the Bridgeport Accelerated Rehabilitation Center, as well as a treating therapist specializing in advanced certifications such as Active Release Technique and Graston Technique. She uses her manual skills to successfully rehabilitate her patients and quickly get them back to where they need to be. You can reach Liz at: lyerly@acceleratedrehab.com or call her at (773) 254-5250.

Program runs through Friday, August 28th.

Every Mon, Wed and Fri from 5:30AM to 7:15AM

By Mike Koerner, USA Swimming and ASCA Certified Coach

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Break Through Multisport Inc.

1235 North Clybourn, #355

Chicago, IL 60610

(931) 220-7050

www.BreakThroughMultisport.com

Ryan@BreakThroughMultisport.com

July, 2009

Volume 2, Issue 7

In This Issue:

TriBetter Swim Cinic

Blog, Tweeeter and Facebook

The Mental Game

Fruits and Vegetables: They Matter

Open Water Swimming

SPONSOR of the Month-

Spuik- 20% OFF

Athlete of the Month

Break Through Research Foundation

Break Through on YouTube.com

Big Toe Problems

Triathlon Swim Program

Two relatively common problems involving the "hallux", or "great toe" (big toe), can plague a runner. Both can cause pain and stiffness in the area called the "metatarsalphalangeal joint (MTPJ)". This is the first knuckle of the big toe, where the toe joins the foot. This joint is very important structurally and functionally. Most of the body weight is transferred to the ground during the "toe off" phase of gait through this area, and faster pace running requires greater range of motion at this joint. Therefore, problems with this joint and the surrounding structures can seriously hinder running ability. Three derangements of the hallux MTPJ account for much of the troubles seen in this anatomical location. These include "hallux rigidus", or arthritis, sesamoiditis, and "hallux valgus", or bunion. Bunions are a symposium in their own right, and may provide fuel for a future topic. We will look at hallux rigidus and sesamoiditis this time.

Hallux rigidus literally means "rigid big toe". This condition is caused by arthritis of this joint, which can come on insidiously, or follow an injury to the joint which occurred some time in the past. Arthritis of any joint includes thinning and loss of the low friction cartilage surfaces of the bones, formation of peripheral spurs, and thickening and inflammation of the surrounding soft tissues or joint lining. These changes contribute to the symptoms of pain and tenderness, stiffness and loss of motion, and warmth and swelling. Loss of motion at the first MTPJ limits the ability to extend or raise the great toe, as spurs on the top of the joint block movement of the toe. This is a devastating problem for any athlete, since the speed of running correlates with upward range of motion of the toe. In other words, limited extension equals limited speed, with pain as the spurs impinge.

Diagnosis is based on the findings of swelling, tenderness, palpable spurs, and reduced motion in extension (upward motion). An X-ray can confirm this officially. Prior to considering surgery, treatment for the runner includes avoiding hills and inclines (uphill running demands increased toe extension), and decreasing speedwork. These modifications may be permanent. A stiffer sole shoe helps to splint the toe and reduce painful extension, and a roomy toe box keeps the pressure off this tender area, or often times a special orthotic with a “first toe extender” can help control the pain by limiting extension, therefore jamming at the joint. Gentle stretching can help maintain available range of motion, as well as Active Release Technique and joint mobilizations to increase capsular mobility, and realign scarred down fibers. Ice and anti-inflammatory medication may be helpful as well. Unfortunately, as the disease progresses, running will become more limited, and surgery to remove spurs ("cheilectomy") may be necessary to allow running to continue.

The second common big toe running injury involves two tiny bones, about the size of coffee beans, that rest beneath the great toe MTPJ, embedded in the tendons that flex the toe (pull the toe down). These bones are like miniature kneecaps, serving to increase the mechanical advantage of the tendons, and gliding on the overlying joint surfaces. The can become a source of irritation, called "sesamoiditis", due to overuse, injury, or arthritis. The pain is on the bottom of the MTPJ, and is typically aggravated by weight-bearing activity. As most of the body’s weight is born at the great toe MTPJ with toe-off, pain beneath this joint can be very disabling.

Sesamoiditis is usually present if there is tenderness beneath the MTPJ, and pain with direct pressure on the sesamoid bones. Extension of the toe may increase the pain. X-rays may be normal, may show a two-part bone (stress fracture), or even arthritis. Treatment includes reduction of mileage and intensity, or even cross-training (biking or swimming). As with hallux rigidus, uphill running usually makes things worse.  Orthotics may be an option for this injury as well, allowing us to cut out a depression or hole in the insole, directly beneath the tender sesamoid, to help relieve the pain while running. Ice and medication are conservative treatment options, as well as Active Release Technique to help decrease scar tissue along the flexor halluxis longus, which is the tendon that that the sesamoid bones live in. Occasionally a doctor will recommend a steroid injection and/or a rest period with casting. Surgical excision is a last resort.

Wnorowski, M.D., D. http://www.genufix.com/big_toe.html.

Discounted Rates Available- Contact Coach Ryan

Make sure to checkout all of the training videos that are on the Break Through YouTube site or click here to go to the BTMS video page! The video above is one of the many in the quickly growing training video collection that is available for your use!

So again, it was too hard to choose just one athlete of the month, so again, we have three!

The Break Through Research Foundation has been created to pursue, conduct and report cutting edge research in swimming, cycling, running, triathlon and all other endurance sports!

Make sure to check out the BT Research page for some reviews of the most current scientific literature of the day, to see what opportunities there are to participate in a research study and much, much more.

Please check out the http://btresearch.blogspot.com for more!

Rob Wurth went to the Rockman Half-Ironman this June to attempt his first ever half-ironman. Rob had a pretty good day, check out the results:

Swim       100’s        T1                Bike             MPH            T2               Run           Pace            Total

34:28.8  1:38       2:21.8     02:32:20.7    22.1     00:50.2  01:32:38.1    7:04 04:42:39.6

The Break Through Multisport Blog is one of our newest features that has been created for you the athlete!

The new blog has been created for you the endurance athlete. This advertising free site is the place to come in order to get updates, training tips, techniques and tactics in addition to what is happening in the endurance sports world!

Make sure to sign up for the Break Through Multisport Twitter feed!  Our twitter feed is the full of training tips and notifications of updates to all the different Break Through blogs!

Come join us on Facebook! All kinds of updates, training tips, techniques and tactics are posted on our Facebook pages all the time in addition to advanced notice when the all new training videos come out!

Become a Friend                    Become a Fan                        Join our Group

Jeff Mote went down to race in the Kansas 70.3 as a tune-up for IM Louisville and ended up with a new PR, check out the results:

Swim            T1                Bike            T2               Run              Total

32:18           4:38       03:04:36    4:31     01:36.1805:22:21